Charting the foundation of Vienna as a Roman stronghold that became the base for defending Europe from both the Ottoman Empire and Protestant revolutionaries. These religious conflicts allowed one family, the Hapsburgs, to gain a foothold in the city and transformed Vienna into a multi-national city of music, culture and ideas. Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore reveals how the city came to be.

Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore tells the story of a Vienna triumphant. As the Ottoman threat receded, the city was rebuilt. When it was no longer an outpost defending the West from Islamic invaders, the ruling Habsburgs vowed their imperial capital would become the most glittering in the world. Vienna became a city that would define the arts; a magnet for musicians such as Mozart and Beethoven.

Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore follows the Habsburgs to their dramatic demise. While Vienna’s ruling family headed for extinction, the city blossomed. As the theories of Freud and the sensuality of artists such as Klimt and Schiele ushered in the modern age, Hitler and Stalin stalked the streets. It was here that World War I was sparked and where World War II was dreamed up.